[smax013]

Taayzer, on 31 August 2011 - 06:45 PM, said:

Great, thanks all for your heLP! Ill be going with the 13inch. My dad will purchase it for me, and ship it to china(Where im living/wokring right now).

Yeah ive used a mac before. Most of my collegues use them, so I have fiddled with them here and there, and I like it. Takes getting used too, but I should be able to manage.

I have the option for lion, or the previous OS(Lepord?), should i get lion? From what I just read, im a bit unsure now.

I am assuming that this is the 13" that you are talking about:

http://store.apple.c...mco=MjIwMTAxNDI

It does not say on that page whether it will ship with Snow Leopard (10.6) or Lion (10.7). In theory, it could be either. When the current generation of MBPs come out, they shipped with Snow Leopard. Lion was released about two months ago...and since that point, all new Macs will come with Lion installed. So, there is a good chance it will come with Lion, but it still might have Snow Leopard.

Either should work fine for you. Since you have not been using Snow Leopard for a while, you will likely have no really issues with using Lion. Most complaints about Lion are from people who have been using Macs for a while and have to get used to doing something differently because they are so used to doing it "how I have been doing it for years". But that should not be an issue for you.

[Evildave]

Parallels 7 came out today. I just tried it with Lion (implements the 'full screen' handling)... but not without bugs. As a windoze VM left in full-screen mode boots, it kicks all other desktops into low resolution mode on my MBA. Not pretty.

So the support's there, but they rushed it out, so the bugs are there, too. The work-around is, don't leave a windoze vm in 'full screen' mode when it boots.

Parallels 6 works fine on Lion, but without the extra full-screen stuff. Most likely if you buy 6 now, it will come with an automatic 7 upgrade.

[LiveBrianD]

smax013, on 31 August 2011 - 07:55 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 31 August 2011 - 03:04 PM, said:

smax013, on 31 August 2011 - 01:38 PM, said:

I have not decided if I like Lion or not. It won't work with my RAID NAS because it appears those LaCie bastards won't be upgrading pre2009 NAS devices to work with Lion. Grrrrrr. Guess no more LaCie products for me.

I thought those things use the same file sharing protocol as anything else. I don't like lacie either though, after the PCB failed in mine after 4 or 5 years of light usage...

Apple made some changes to AFP in Lion that broke how the NAS works with a Mac running Lion. In theory, SMB should work still, but I am not having the best of luck with that either (it is taking FOREVER for stuff to just start to copy). Someone told me that there is some reports of bugs with SMB with Lion. End result is that my Air does not really work with my current NAS at the moment. This is kind of a problem. As such, I might revert to Snow Leopard...and then partition the drive to allow a second boot drive with Lion (I really should have done that to begin with...I will probably do that with my MacBook Pro soon). This should allow me to boot into either and still work with all my apps...unlike Windows, Mac apps typically can work with multiple boot drives without needing to reinstall the apps. The whole Registry bit with Windows does kind of hose that ability for most apps in Windows.

I am pissed that LaCie will not support a NAS product that is only about three years old for the newest OS. An NAS drive is something that people will tend to use for a rather long time. This is something that small businesses would tend to use if they did not want to go to a full server. This tells me that one SHOULD NOT buy a LaCie NAS if you have any desire to use it for more than two years or so.

Dang... I've never had an issue with that on Windows...

smax013 said:

And I DEFINITELY turned of the iPhone type auto-spell check/suggestion thingie. That was annoying as hell. I tend to HATE "autocorrect" stuff. When I install Word on a new computer, that is one of the first things I turn off. If I freakin' wanted to type that, then I would have typed it, thank you very much!

Yeah, have you seen damnyouautocorrect.com

[Evildave]

Another thing in Parallels 7: You can run OS X as a virtual machine. Finally a way to make canned/encapsulated development/test 'systems'.

This is a core use for VM, at least for me. 'Freezing' a development environment with all the tools that 'worked' with it. So you archive it with the 'release' source code, data, etc. and feel confident that you can open it years from now and make a fix or change without jumping through crazy hoops to get things initially compiling and working.

So I can finally lock in a version of Xcode that built [a project], along with the graphics tools, sound tools, etc. tools that go with it.

[MACDROID84]

I figured i'd post on this forum sice I too am looking at getting a mac. I'm currently using a Dell Insperon laptop, but since I now have an ipad for the portability and entertainment i don't care about that aspect. I care about storage and longevity above all. I will mainly be using it for itunes, movies, home network control, and the usual mundane tasks. I'd like lots of storage, but i'm not afraid to go the NAS or simple external HD route if needed. i'll be doing some simple photo editing. I was thinking of going with the 21" imac since i don't need/care for the extra real estate on the larger one. Aside from the obvious portability issue, is that a good route to go? any advice on imac vs. mac mini? i'll probably be buying it early next year so i'm doing my research now on any updates to hardware/software.

[LiveBrianD]

Personally I would NEVER get an imac because of the glossy screen (makes it unusable), and at least with the mac mini you can get your own matte screen, and I think the imac probably has more upgrability - it is bigger after all, even with the screen factored in.

[nonseq]

LiveBrianD, on 11 October 2011 - 02:40 PM, said:

Personally I would NEVER get an imac because of the glossy screen (makes it unusable), and at least with the mac mini you can get your own matte screen, and I think the imac probably has more upgrability - it is bigger after all, even with the screen factored in.

Brian, the glossy screen isn't unusable at all, at least for me and many others. Who is the supreme arbiter of screen usability anyway? I've yet to find an after market display that performs better than the iMac. Of course, others will disagree and we've already had a huge debate (probably before your time) about resolution comparing the iMac to Samsung and other displays. I, for one, don't want to go down that path again.

[LiveBrianD]

nonseq, on 11 October 2011 - 03:15 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 11 October 2011 - 02:40 PM, said:

Personally I would NEVER get an imac because of the glossy screen (makes it unusable), and at least with the mac mini you can get your own matte screen, and I think the imac probably has more upgrability - it is bigger after all, even with the screen factored in.

Brian, the glossy screen isn't unusable at all, at least for me and many others. Who is the supreme arbiter of screen usability anyway? I've yet to find an after market display that performs better than the iMac. Of course, others will disagree and we've already had a huge debate (probably before your time) about resolution comparing the iMac to Samsung and other displays. I, for one, don't want to go down that path again.

Well, it depends. In the places where I used them, where there was quite a bit of light, it was impossible to avoid the glare (which is a major annoyance for me). Other than that, the screen is fine. With my matte sony screen, I don't worry about the glare at all.

[MACDROID84]

glare aside, i'm looking for something that I can use for more than 4 years as a workhorse. Something that I can use to do simple photo editing and store my music and videos. my workspace has enough shade that glare won't be a problem. i'm typing this on my ipad dock with the overhead light on full and no problems. if the screen is anything like the ipad, then i'm not worried. Are there any compatibility issues with moving files from a Dell to a mac? Right now i'm using a Dell Inspiron 1420 and it is dying a slow death. I would like to be able to swap my itunes library over to the mac. The ipad was my first real delve into the macworld so forgive my questions as I am a little new to the macs. Thanks for all the help guys.

[LiveBrianD]

I think the iMac, in general, is intended to be apple's midrange desktop. I imagine that would be ok for most people, after all, they have discrete graphics and such. I tend to be more sensitive to screen glare and reflections than most people, and I think the ipad's screen is similar to the imac's. I'd probably get

I doubt there will be compatibility issues.

[smax013]

MACDROID84, on 11 October 2011 - 05:34 PM, said:

glare aside, i'm looking for something that I can use for more than 4 years as a workhorse. Something that I can use to do simple photo editing and store my music and videos. my workspace has enough shade that glare won't be a problem. i'm typing this on my ipad dock with the overhead light on full and no problems. if the screen is anything like the ipad, then i'm not worried. Are there any compatibility issues with moving files from a Dell to a mac? Right now i'm using a Dell Inspiron 1420 and it is dying a slow death. I would like to be able to swap my itunes library over to the mac. The ipad was my first real delve into the macworld so forgive my questions as I am a little new to the macs. Thanks for all the help guys.

An iMac will be more powerful than a Mini. If you do anything graphically intensive, then you likely will an iMac. From what you describe as your use, a Mini likely would work, but an iMac likely will give you more room to "grow".

The glossy screen of an iMac will be very similar to what you have on your iPad. While I prefer matte/non-glare screens over glossy screens, for a desktop situation, a glossy screen should be fine unless you are using the computer in a room with a LOT of windows or lights. I have found that the glossy screen on my MacBook Air does not bother me as much as I thought it might. While I would have preferred a matte screen for it like on my MacBook Pro, I have found that it works OK.

Moving the iTunes library will be no problem at all.

Whether or not you have compatibility issues will largely depend on the files. Typical stuff like Word, Excel and PowerPoint files will have zero compatibility issues. If you are using some esoteric Windows program, then you might have issues, but that is less and less of an issue in general. And even if you do, you could always run Windows in Bootcamp or Parallels for couple programs.

[MACDROID84]

The office type files should be fine since I use open office and not excel. Is the Imac expandable with memory upgrades if I so choose? Also, can the imac stream music/movies to my apple tv? Yes, i'm slowly becoming a fan boy. I still enjoy a keyboard on my phone tho so I don't have an iphone.

[smax013]

MACDROID84, on 12 October 2011 - 04:05 AM, said:

The office type files should be fine since I use open office and not excel. Is the Imac expandable with memory upgrades if I so choose?

Yes.

Quote

Also, can the imac stream music/movies to my apple tv?

Yes...both the old and new version of the AppleTV. For the old version, you could also sync your content to ONE computer running iTunes, be it Mac or Windows.

Quote

Yes, i'm slowly becoming a fan boy. I still enjoy a keyboard on my phone tho so I don't have an iphone.

That is a definite downside for the iPhone for some...no physical keyboard option. As reason why my dad may never get one.

As for the software keyboard, while it took me a while to get used to the Android keyboard, I like it better than the iPhone's. I liked the ability to hold a key down to get things like numbers or other characters rather than having to "switch" to the number mode. Now that I going to an iPhone (Sprint finally got it...and the Gingerbread update to my Evo made it unusable), I will have to get used to its keyboard again.

[MACDROID84]

Ya, i used to have a touch screen keyboard and the functions on the android keyboard are great. With my sausage fingers, I end up typing 4 letters with one brilliant "keystroke". Thanks for answering all my questions guys/gals. I'm pretty much sold on the imac over the mini. I don't feel like having to buy the moniter, keyboard, mouse all seperate. Does the enw imac have the SD card slots though? That is a huge deal with me. I have the adaptor for the mini SD if needed. if not, has anyone read anything on 9to5 or macrumors about an update for this on an upcoming imac?

[nonseq]

MACDROID84, on 12 October 2011 - 08:29 AM, said:

Ya, i used to have a touch screen keyboard and the functions on the android keyboard are great. With my sausage fingers, I end up typing 4 letters with one brilliant "keystroke". Thanks for answering all my questions guys/gals. I'm pretty much sold on the imac over the mini. I don't feel like having to buy the moniter, keyboard, mouse all seperate. Does the enw imac have the SD card slots though? That is a huge deal with me. I have the adaptor for the mini SD if needed. if not, has anyone read anything on 9to5 or macrumors about an update for this on an upcoming imac?

One Thunderbolt port on 21.5-inch iMac
Two Thunderbolt ports on 27-inch iMac
Mini DisplayPort output with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (adapters sold separately)
One FireWire 800 port; 7 watts
Four USB 2.0 ports
SDXC card slot
Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer burning (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Audio in/out
10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
IR receiver

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

This post has been edited by nonseq: 12 October 2011 - 08:42 AM

[MACDROID84]

Thanks. I can get on to walmart.com to buy a shotgun, but apple's store is blocked by websense.... hmmmmm

[smax013]

MACDROID84, on 12 October 2011 - 08:29 AM, said:

has anyone read anything on 9to5 or macrumors about an update for this on an upcoming imac?

This is about a good as a "guide" as you are gonna get...and even then, it is still a crap shoot.

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac

Lots of rumors about Apple products are right...but just as many, if not more, are wrong.

That guide gives you are reasonable idea of Apple's past "cycle", which they tend to follow at least for a while. Although, this year the iPhone was a case in them NOT following their typical timeline.

[lawyerfish]

smax013, on 31 August 2011 - 12:43 PM, said:

Evildave, on 30 August 2011 - 09:22 PM, said:

4GB+256GB SSD is plenty OK for virtual machines and my work.

This is a little off-topic, but how does Parallels run on your Air? I have not gotten around to installing Parallels on my 11" Air yet, so I am curious.

Parallels flies on my 2011 11" Air (upgraded Core i7), and actually did well on my previous Air (Core2Duo 1.4 GHz). Trick is to install 32 Bit Windows 7, give it 2 GB of RAM and one processor core. So configured, Windows in Parallels (Core i7 Air) is actually more responsive than my Core2Duo ThinkPad X61s.

[smax013]

lawyerfish, on 21 March 2012 - 07:47 AM, said:

smax013, on 31 August 2011 - 12:43 PM, said:

Evildave, on 30 August 2011 - 09:22 PM, said:

4GB+256GB SSD is plenty OK for virtual machines and my work.

This is a little off-topic, but how does Parallels run on your Air? I have not gotten around to installing Parallels on my 11" Air yet, so I am curious.

Parallels flies on my 2011 11" Air (upgraded Core i7), and actually did well on my previous Air (Core2Duo 1.4 GHz). Trick is to install 32 Bit Windows 7, give it 2 GB of RAM and one processor core. So configured, Windows in Parallels (Core i7 Air) is actually more responsive than my Core2Duo ThinkPad X61s.

I do have Parallels on my Air now and it does work rather well. Most of the time, it is actually a little bit faster on my Air (Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz) than it is on my 17" MBP (Core 2 Duo 2.8 Ghz). This is one case where an SSD REALLY helps.

[LiveBrianD]

I can see how it might - I have my VMs on a older, slower HD (samsung HD501LJ, about 50MB/sec) and my VMs are slow as hell at times, even though the CPU is barely doing anything (maybe 20-30% usage PEAK). Meanwhile, the hard drive is being thrashed around like crazy. I started 2 VMs at once, put them in unity, and started ms word and firefox on each, and actually saw queue lengths as high as 50 for that hard drive (right now, they're at 5). Damn, really? I thought it's not supposed to go above 1. And the programs were incredibly slow at responding. (the rest of the system was completely unaffected, as the ONLY thing that older hard drive is used for is VMs - my OS and files are on the WD Black.

Edit: The queue length is now at 100. A record.... how can this possibly take so long?

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 23 March 2012 - 03:50 PM